Flexible rotary track layer



man mn.5.1919.

' P. 1. DEHETRE.

FLEXIBLE ROTARY TRACK LAYER.

Dec. 19, 1922.l

' 'Philip Jerome Dehe'tre @fr Dec. 19, 1922.

P. J. DEHETRE.

FLEXIBLE ROTARY TRACK LAYER.

FILED MAR. 5,1919- 2 SHEETS-SHEE'I 2.

y Patented Het. i9, i922, .i

narra ar af alerter..

PHILIP .Tenor/IE Barreras, or HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

` FLEXIBLE ROTARY TRACK LAYER.

Application med March 5, 1919; serial N. 280,844.

To all whom imag concern.' `j 5 whichpreferably have one edge of each in- Be it known that l, PHILIP JEROME tegral with the tread. plate 3. l Y DEHETRE, a citizen of the United States, and The plates 4 and 5 each have one end resident of Huntington Beach, in the county bent inward to t between the opposite 5 `ot Orange and State of California, have endsor the sides'4 and 5 of another link, 60

invented new and useful lmprovements yin the telescopingends being kpivotally secured a Flexible Rotary Track Layer, of which together by means of the bolts G, such jointhe following is a specication ing ot the links 2 withv the tread construc- This invention relates to track laying aption forming the endless track 1. i

paratus for tractor wheels, and lconsists ot The base plates 3 are considerably wider 65 the newand useful features of construction, than 'the distance between the sides 4 and arrangement and combination et parts',l the 5 so that they form a very much wider tread purposeot which will be apparent from than the tractor wheel 7. a vconsideratioi'i of the preferredA form The' endless 'track 1 is preferably formed i of structure herein shown, described and with sixteen links 2 whichvare ljoinedY as be- 70 claimed. y y fore stated; and pivotally connected to every The principal object of the invention is other link is one end of one ofthe bars 8, 9, 10", to provide in a practical way a tractor. wheel 11, 12, 13, 14 andl, and the pivoted ends with an endless track which it may carry of these bars are located4 betweenthe side with it andv lay down in .itsy tread and in plates 4 and 5 and pivoted lon the bolts 6 75 front and rear. which bolts also pivotally secure the links 2 Another feature of the invention is togetheizw n shown in the broad tread and support ot kThe ytractor wheel 7 is yformed .of the the .wheel furnished by the endless track.A sides 16 and 17, and these sides are spaced Another feature is shown` in the novel apart by a plurality of blocks 18 forming 80 means y employed for moving the endless radial guides, and the sides and blocks are track to always keep it in advance vand in held together by the bolts 19. f the rear of said wheel. The sides 16 and 17 and the blocks 18 Another feature is shown in the substanwhich latter are positioned in pairs, forni tial structure of boththe tractor wheel and guides and bearings for the free ends of 85 1,35 and the appended claims.

.the endless track with which it is associated. the bars 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14" and 15 so Other objects, advantages and features ot' that these bars can slide toward or away invention may appear inthe accompanying from the center `of the tractor wheel-v 7; drawings,` the subjoined Ydetail description The spacingapart` ofthe sides 16 and V17 by the blocks 18 formsl the compartment 90 The accompanying drawings illustratethe 18 in which a plurality of oscillating means invention. y in the form of pawls 2Oy are pivoted on the 1F igure A1 is a side elevationof a tractor bolts 21 and have the oppositely ,extending wheel within the endless track, said wheel lingers 22 and 23 the points ot which are 40 being associated with a tractor, thel latter thesame distance radially from the center 95 shown in dotted lines. f of the pivots 21, the body ot the pawls be- Fig. 2 is asimilar view ot the tractor ing the yfragmentary part ot a disc. wheel and endlesstrack, removed tromthe p The pawls 2Qare sov positioned that the tractor and drawn to a larger scale. lingersfo22 and 23 thereoit are adaptedto Fig. 3 isv a section taken "on the line engage the 'inner ends ofthe bars Stole 100 Fig. f2 showing the interior strucinclusive; The pawl between the bars 8 and ture of the wheel. and endless track. v 9 has its finger 22engagingthe end of the Fig. 4 is a section vtaken on the line bar 8 and its linge'r23 in position to ennft--act Fig. 3 showing thev interior ot the gage the bar 9 when the wheel 7 has moved wheel and the means for moving the endless to a position which will contact these parts. 105 track. As the wheel advances to the left .in Fig. ln detail, the endless-track 1j is made of 4, the oscillating means 20 are brought into a plurality of links 2 which are formed contact with, the end of the bar l9 which is v with the broad tread plate or portion 7 held stationary relative to the ground, and on which are secured `the side plates 4 and the oscillators are thereby oscillated upon 110 the pivots and operate to vforce the succeeding bar l() out 1n due time to take the position indicated at 9.

- ils the lingers 22 and 23 and the wheel 7 continue to move, the pawls 20 will be.

. Vance ot the wheel toward the ground. ac-

y tractor wheel.

tuates the bar head oi" the bar l() to extend it to reach the ground, and also actuates the bar 8 to retain said bar S on the ground until a succeeding*operation moves said bar S in toward the center ot the wheel, thus causing an operative relation of the parts to be successively brought about as the wheel advances.

It is to be understood that this relationship ot parts and their movement applies konly .when the weight of the wheel 7 is directly over the bar Sand the wheelrtravel.- ing toward the har 9; for as soon as the wheel is directly over the. bar"9 and moving toward the har 10, another position ol" the parts is accomplished. The function ot the pawls 20 is to move the bars 8 to 15 inclusive outward as the wheel 7 rolls over the endless track l.

As shown in the drawing,'the sides ot the wheel 7 have their periphery 24 traveling on the inner edges 25 of the parallel plates 4; and 5 of the links 2; and as the wheel rolls over these edges the pawls are moved to lay the endless track in advance of the wheel and to pick `it up in the ,rear of the'whee-l.

`Assuming that the wheel is moving toward the bar 9, the latter will move the pawls on each side of it to keep downthe bar 8 and to torce outward the bar 10 so that when the wheel 7 is'directly over the bar 9 the links 2 between the bars Sand l0 will loe flat on the ground forming therebya track for the wheel. I l l Any means may he employed to drive the That shown hereinl consists f a sprocket wheel26 which'is keyed to the hub 27 ofthe wheel 7; and, as Vshown in Fig. .l the sprocket wheel 26 may be connec'tedtor a sprocket wheel 28 by a chain 29, the sprocket wheel 28 and chain being indicated by a dotted line.- r

As also indicated by dotted lines, the sprocket wheel 28y may be located on the shaft 30 which is actuated by thecrank .31, therod 32 and piston 330i the engine 34, which latter is `only shown in outline.

InY operation, the wheel'sflv are. mounted on I the yaxle 35 of a vtractor 36, 'andehcased by iasaaee described as adapted to tractor wheels; it is not intended that it shall be limited to that use, asit can be applied to the wheels ot various vehicles, l

This invention also admits ot modiications and change-s without departing .trom the scope and spirit o'l.1 the invention.

l claim:

l. The combination with links pivoted together to form an endless chain of a wheel. adaptedv to roll upon said links inside said chain and provided with radial guide ways; bars pivotally connected to said links at said pivotal connections oscillating means carried by the wheel and arranged to engage one ot said bars when the same is held stationary, and to transmit motion of the wheel to an adjacent har for the purpose of forcing said adjacent bar outwardly for the purpose Vset forth.

2. ln, a track laying apparatus, links pivoted together to form an endless chain; a wheel treading on said chain; bars pivotally connected to said chain at Acertainof said pivotal connections; and means contacting with one of said hars for moving certain of said other bars to keep a portion of said track flattened.

3. In a track laying apparatus, an endless track; comprising links and bolts pivot-ally connected to said links; bars having one end pivotally connected to said bolts; a wheel treading said endless track; bearings in said wheel in which saidI bars are slidably mounted; and means contacting with one ot said bars for moving said other bars track; comprising links; hars having one end pivotally connected to said links; a wheel treading said `endless track; bearings in said wheel in which said bars are slidably mounted; pawls within said wheel for engaging the other ends of said bars, said pawls adapted to move said loa-rs to flatten a portion of the endless track under the wheel the latter moves. y

5. In a track laying apparatus, a plurality of links pivotally connected and each link having a large base plate; a plurality of bars having one end pivotally connected to every other one of said links; a wheel having sides spaced apartand adapted totread sadliks; and provided with radial guide ways in which the other ends of said loars are slidably mounted; and means `within said wheel for moving said bars to flatten a portion of said links under'said wheel as the wheel is moved.` f

6. In a track laying apparatus, a plurality of pivotally connected links; a plurality of hars having one end pivotally connected to every other one oi' said connections pivotally connecting said links; a wheel having sides spaced apart and adapted to tread said links; bearings in said wheel in which the other ends of said bars are slidably mounted; and means within said wheel for moving said hars to flatten a portion of said links under said wheel as the wheel is moved.

7. In a track laying apparatus, an endless track; comprising links having a large base plate and side plates integral therewith; bars pivotally connected to said links; a wheel having sides spaced apart and adapted to tread the inner edge of said side plates;

hearings in said wheel in whichv the otherends of said loa-rs are slidably mounted; and means within said wheel contacting with one of said hars for moving adjacent bars for the purpose set forth. g

8. In a tracklaying apparatus, anendless track, comprising linksl and bolts pivotally connecting said links, bars pivotally connected to every other one of said bolts, a wheel treading said track, and means whereby, as one of said bars is moved inwardly the guidefways in which the other ends of said bars are slidably mounted; and means within said wheel for moving said bars to flatten a portion of said links under said wheel as vthe wheel is moved.

y In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my -hand at osk Angeles, California, this 18th day of February, 1919.

PHILIP JEROME DEHETRE.

Witness Y EDYTHEMAE BROWN.

`to tread said links; and provided with radial 

